MARCH 23RD 2007
A new museum will be open on June 25th 2007 in Reus (see Modernist Route), Catalonia
about the architect Gaudí.
This museum is in the center of town, in Plaça Mercadal:
This is the same square where you will find Casa Navàs by
architect Domènech i Montaner:
This is a new museum and I have read that it will emphasize
the senses so that it maybe a fulfilling experience.
Besides if you come to Catalonia through the Reus Airport
(maybe you arrive from London Stansted, Luton Stansted, Dublin
thanks to Ryanair flights) then this may be a very good
oportunity to see this museum.
Instead of taking an expensive bus from the airport to
Barcelona you just can go with a yellow bus to Reus
(about 2 euros), visit the city and then catch a train
to Barcelona maybe .... This is much better option than
the bus because you will meet local people and the train
goes next to the sea ...
I live in Barcelona and I can imagine you maybe want to
come to Barcelona soon but I used to live in Reus and
I can tell you that I long for its peace and beautiful
countryside.
I do not know if I will write here more about the
Gaudi Centre Reus. In any case you can visit my
website, www.gaudi.cat
Remember that the famous buildings of Gaudi are in
Barcelona but that he grew up in Reus.
Both him and the one who writes now
studied in the same old convent, now
Institut Salvador Vilaseca. Maybe you could visit the
clauster ...
Have a nice trip!
APRIL 11TH 2007
Each day more is known about the new museum.
In renfe.es
you can see timeable of trains that go to Reus from Barcelona.
An average price is 6.45 euros. You need about 90 minutes to
arrive there. You can catch the train in different stations.
Some leave from Estació de França. Next to Casa Batlló you have
also Passeig de Gràcia Train Station.
But let me tell you what I know about the new museum ...
The website maybe WWW.GAUDICENTRE.COM
The web of Reus townhall is www.reus.cat.
Now that the building has been finished the Museum starts ...
Some of the scale models have already arrived.
5,2 millions of euros for the permanent exhibits.
Third Floor: GAUDÍ UNIVERSAL
The itinerary of the museum will begin on the third floor
(At the attic there will be a Restaurant)
The itinerary will last between 1 and 2 hours.
There will be audioguides.
There will be an audivisual show created by Sono Euphon Group that will introduce
the spectator to Gaudí.
There will be also some of the scale models created by Grup Graf from Sils. In
fact the ones related to touching and sensing: pinnacles of Sagrada Familia,
the chimneys of La pedrera or the gallery of columms of Park Güell.
Second Floor: GAUDÍ INNOVATOR
About the enigmas, shapes and solutions given by Gaudí using interactive scale models
so that one can see that Gaudí already thought about water saving, light and air.
Here there will be too a reproduction of the spectacular funicular
scale model of the church of Colonia Güell. This model served Gaudí and his
collaborators to calculate in an empiric way the charges, the inclination of
columms and the shape of arches.
There will be too one of the few reproductions kept of the scale models of La
Sagrada Familia which are a cession from Amics de Gaudí de Reus.
There will be also a reproduction of the atelier (taller) where Gaudí used to work.
First Floor: GAUDÍ AND REUS.
Reus at the start of the 20th century and the Modernisme
Period of Gaudí in Reus, drawings and projects and people related to him:
friends, architects, contractors.
Access also to his diary.
On the floor there will be an interactive map of Reus so that one will be
able to see buildings from architects such as
Josep Subietas, Pere Caselles, Domènech i Montaner i Rubió i Bellver.
MAY 2ND 2007
These last days I travelled from Barcelona to Reus in order to know more
about the new museum.
These days is only open for some people related to the project.
The Gaudí Centre will open its doors to the general public in some weeks,
maybe in June.
As you can see from the pictures I took above, the building looks like a
big box in the square.
At the top of the museum there will be a restaurant and I wonder if
the restaurant will have a view over the city.
After all the building of the Gaudí Centre reminds me of
El Corte Inglés in Plaça Catalunya, Barcelona.
Both buildings are in central squares, both buildings have a very
big contrast with its surroundings and both buildings have a
restaurant at the top.
I like its look because it asks you to enter it! Its contrast with the
surrounding buildings is enormous.
In Espais7, a free old local newspaper, I have read that the price will be
6 euros although there will be discounts. People with a ticket from
Port Aventura will have free access.
I also read that the townhall from Barcelona has given some doors from
Casa Batlló to be exhibited in the Gaudí Centre of Reus.
By the way 'centre' is the Catalan word for 'centre' (center in American
English) and 'centro' in Spanish. The original name was going to be
'Capsa Gaudí' which means 'Gaudí's Box' and if you see the shape of
the building you will see that the name suits the building. They
changed the name because they wanted a more international name.
I even offered GAUDI.CAT as the name for the new museum (yes, an internet
name for a new museum ... why not? Besides, Gaudí was Catalan and .cat
is the first domain for a language ...) but fortunately I got no answer.
As I was in Reus I got the impression that this new museum is very important
for the city. After all, Reus has no buildings of Gaudí (most of the
buildings are in Barcelona but not all ...) and even Reus as the birthplace
of Gaudí is in doubt. Just visit Riudoms, a nearby village, and you will
find the reason. And there you can visit Epicentre Gaudí next to La Casa
Pairal.
And if you love the countryside you just can go to Carrer dels Molins Nous
and follow it until you arrive to Riera de Maspujols.
Then turn left and maybe in 15 minutes you will arrive to Mas de La Calderera.
The birthplace of Gaudí according to some.
JUNE 19TH 2007
FRESH NEWS FINALLY ...
OPEN DOORS FOR SANT JOAN 2007 (although you need
to call a 902 number)
From June 26th 2007 the timetable seems to be as
follows:
From 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm
July, August and September:
From 10 am to 8 pm
Festius ( I imagine this translates as Sundays and bank holidays):
From 10 am to 2 pm